Texas Lawmaker Proposes Later School Year Start to Reduce Power Grid Strain

AUSTIN, TX — A Texas state lawmaker has suggested delaying the start of the school year to reduce stress on the state’s power grid, which has been reported to be under significant strain due to record-breaking electricity demand during the summer months.

State Representative Jared Patterson (R-Frisco) shared the proposal on social media over the weekend, indicating that he may introduce related legislation in the next legislative session.

Patterson argued that with Texas welcoming 1,100 new residents daily and experiencing rapid economic growth, starting school before Labor Day places an unnecessary burden on the power grid.

“Cooling thousands of buildings during the hottest months of the year is an awfully wasteful stress on our power grid,” Patterson stated on his social media account.

The lawmaker suggested that schools remain closed in July and August to save on cooling costs and alleviate pressure on the grid. Patterson’s comments come as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state’s power grid operator, reported a record-high electricity demand of 85,559 megawatts on Tuesday, surpassing the previous record set on August 10 of the previous year.

Patterson’s proposal has sparked some discussion. Doug Lewin, the author of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, noted that while he supports the idea of starting the school year later, he believes other solutions should also be considered. Lewin emphasized the need for Texas to incentivize schools to adopt solar panels and battery storage systems, which could help collect and store energy during the sunniest parts of the day.

“I’m in favor of energy abundance,” Lewin said. “I think most Texans are in favor of that, and we have it with the right policies, particularly to support solar and storage and energy efficiency.”

The next regular session of the Texas Legislature begins on January 14 and will last 140 days.